1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hearing aids. The invention more specifically relates to an adapter for coupling a probe tube to a microphone of a hearing aid. The invention, still more specifically, relates to a device comprising such an adapter. The invention also relates to a method for real ear measurements.
Real ear measurements are of great advantage when fitting hearing aids to the individual user. Though the general characteristics of a hearing aid are normally known from measurements with a model ear, known as a coupler, these may not fully reflect the actual characteristics when the hearing aid is placed in a real ear, as there may be significant individual variations in the ear canals. This is in particular the case with children, but also with people who have a damaged or deformed ear canal, e.g. due to surgery.
Also, when fitting a hearing aid for children, the real ear measurement of the actual sound pressure level in the ear is of interest. This is because the replies from children as to comfort and sound perception are less reliable than those from adults. Thus, a difference between the actual characteristics of the hearing aid, when placed in the ear, and those measured with a coupler might go undetected. This again could lead to incorrect fitting, e.g. a fitting with too much gain, likely to cause uncomfortably loud sound levels, or too little gain, likely to cause too soft levels of sounds that do not compensate the users hearing deficiency.
2. The Prior Art
For performing such measurements, it has been suggested to make use of a hearing aid. U.S. Pat. No. 6,154,546 suggests connecting a sound conducting tube, referred to as a probe tube, from the cavity between the earplug and the tympanic membrane to one or more of the external input microphones of a hearing aid. It is stated that the probe tube may be connected to the external microphone via an adapter. However, the adapter is only illustrated schematically and not described in any detail, other than a schematic suggestion of a short length of rigid pipe. How this adapter itself would be connected to the housing or the microphone is also not described.
It is the object of the present invention to provide an adapter for coupling a probe tube to a microphone of a hearing aid.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a device for real ear measurements incorporating an adapter for coupling a probe tube to a microphone of a hearing aid.
It is still a further object to provide a method for performing real ear measurements.